The Best Places to Eat in Dallas Right Now

The restaurant scene in Dallas-Fort Worth has always been volatile. But that volatility has gone into overdrive this year. While some new concepts have shuttered, that volatility has also led to opportunities for new, highly-anticipated dining spots. The newest and most celebrated restaurants of the year seem to have embraced lower price points and typically less stuffy -- but always creative -- dining atmospheres. You’re guaranteed to taste some great food and have a unique dining experience at these popular spots. Here’s an always updated look at the best restaurants in Dallas right now: First, we’ve singled out the latest and greatest restaurants that just opened, if you're looking for something brand new. If you want a classic standby, though, scroll down to see the best overall that the city has to offer. Try any one of these for a delicious meal.

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Deep Ellum

Versatile, late-night takes on the beloved French fry If there is one thing that can bring our fractured country back together, it may be our universal love of French fries. Seriously, who doesn’t love some good fries? Get Fried offers savory, salty, and sweet takes on everyone’s favorite tater dish. On the savory end of the spectrum are creations like the current foodie obsession of poutine and Philly cheesesteak loaded fries. But perhaps the most exciting offerings are the sweet potato and funnel cake fries, topped with everything from maple syrup to powdered sugar. Needless to say, this Deep Ellum outpost is incredibly popular with the late-night bar hopping crowd that frequents the neighborhood.

Uptown

Popular Plano wine bistro opens in the Crescent For wine enthusiasts who don’t have the time or money to book a trip to Napa Valley, perhaps a visit to the newly opened Dallas location of Plano’s Sixty Vines will scratch the itch. Located in the Crescent, the new spot will feature 40 wines on tap as well as the pizzas, burgers and salads that the original location is known for. And what would a restaurant with dozens of wines on tap be without a cheese board? The charcuterie boards feature locally sourced meats and cheeses as well as artisanal and seasonal additions which rotate out and can pair beautifully with the wine of your choice.

Highland Park

Upscale pizza for the well-heeled highland park set If you’re a food fan in Dallas, you likely are already very familiar with the name Nick Badovinus. The high-profile chef has earned rave reviews for his take on steak (Town Hearth) and seafood (Montlake Cut). So, he may be the perfect man to tackle this semi-cursed spot in Highland Park Village. The pizzas are not your basic pepperoni and cheese pies. Exotic toppings, funny names ("Lyte Funkie One," anyone?) and odd but perfect flavor combinations make this a perfect date spot for foodies. Plus, the patio offers a great place to watch all the beautiful people of Highland Park drop some major coin on designer goods and couture finery.

Frisco

Elegant Mediterranean from an international culinary star Chef José Andrés may be one of the most famous and respected stars of the culinary world right now, and deservedly so. So, when he opened Zaytinya at The Star in Frisco, Dallas foodies lost their minds in the best possible way. His modern take on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean classics has surpassed the already high expectations of fans of fine dining. From hummus to flatbreads to spit-roasted lamb, Zaytinya gives Dallas diners an elegant dining experience and maybe a little bit of bragging rights as well.

Downtown Dallas

Finger foods served in a midcentury modern setting The newly renovated and reborn Statler Hotel is the hottest destination in the city for food, drinks, and fun. And the recently opened Scout provides plenty of all three. In a setting that looks like Wes Anderson’s idea of a 1970s rec center, Scout features shareable plates such as wings, sliders, potato skins, and ribs. Did we mention that Scout also features bowling, foosball, table tennis and pool tables? Put on your best sweatbands and head to the Statler for some of the classiest food you’ve ever eaten while bowling.

Plano

Over 30 unique food and beverage stalls in this foodie heaven Thanks to Legacy Food Hall, you may never have to have the “I don’t know, what do you feel like?” dinner conversation ever again. A truly epic culinary destination, Legacy Hall contains over 22 chef and artisan driven food stalls as well as a half dozen bars with everything from craft beer to kitschy cocktails. The hall also hosts live music regularly which makes it the perfect destination for a romantic date night with an undecided or picky eater.

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Lower Greenville

Upscale Southern delights Before you get your straw ready to sip on what sounds like a cocktail, know that this dish is actually the Southern-flavored gastro-tavern’s spin on Nashville hot chicken. Don’t be shy, though, and double up the heat with some shakes of the Fresno chile sauce on the table. And round out that plate: Rapscallion excels at openers like rib-eye carpaccio and decadent sides like fried sorghum and "Gammy’s baked mac."

East Dallas

Not your ordinary taqueria From beginners just starting to dive into the city’s street taco scene, to old hands who know their cabeza from their cecina, this Fitzhugh Avenue hot spot draws all levels of taco lovers. And with fillings ranging from brisket to crispy grasshopper, it's bound to have something for you to swoon over.

Downtown

The best place to go whole hog Executive chef Nicholas Walker continues pushing this modern American restaurant’s menu forward. Case in point, fascinating additions like chargrilled broccoli sprouts, “grits” made of rice and house-made merguez sausage over creamy corn. But if you simply can’t bring yourself to venture past the super-popular pig’s head carnitas or grass-fed beef cheeseburger, we can’t blame you.

West Dallas

Unpretentious gourmet burgers With its move from tiny Design District digs to a lofty, kitschy space on the edge of Trinity Groves, this burger joint has more room to fit in its rabid devotees. Your chances of sitting down while eating any of OSK’s sandwiches, American cheese-topped burgers, tacos, and fries may actually be better, too.

Oak Cliff

Comfort food in charming neighborhood bistro Located a few minutes from the bustling Bishop Arts District, Grassroots Kitchen is nestled inside a charming storefront in the Elmwood neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The handwritten paper menu is ever evolving and might feature anything from smoked brisket to banh mi sandwiches to fresh hummus and salads. And perhaps even more exciting is the fact that all of this freshly made food is incredibly affordable. Skip the long valet lines and construction nightmares of Bishop Arts and eat where in-the-know Oak Cliff residents eat instead.

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Lower Greenville

European comfort food mainstay This charming European bistro has been around since 1972 but feels like it’s always in the current swing of things, with menus that change to reflect what’s fresh, as well as hardcore classics that keep regulars coming back. In addition to the tartines, the famed mushroom soup is as addictive as you’ve heard -- ditto for the uber-popular brunch here.

Bishop Arts Dist.

Rustic Italian worth the wait Chef-owner David Uygur’s homage to an authentic Italian cookery is the hardest table in town to snag, but so worth the effort. The kitchen’s biggest hits and points of pride are the handmade pasta and house-cured salumi, though meaty mains that can include seafood, game, and poultry are executed wonderfully enough to be standouts, too.

Oak Cliff

Traditional ramen where you stand and slurp This much-awaited ramen shop’s opening was delayed after a fire a few months before its hoped-for launch. Happily, the spare, standing-room-only box of a restaurant has risen like a phoenix to the raves of noodle lovers city-wide. In addition to regulars like tonkotsu and shoyu ramen, be on the lookout for rotating specials.

Fort Worth

A New Orleans bar with best po-boys in town Long a favorite of Deep Ellum, Twilite Lounge opened their Fort Worth outpost in early 2018. But there’s one advantage that the Fort Worth location has over its Dallas sibling. A kitchen. But not just any kitchen. A kitchen which cranks out the most amazing and generously garnished po-boy sandwiches in the city. Complete with plenty of what Twilite calls “debris”. The kitchen is open late and offers not only po-boys but boudin balls and extra dirty red beans and rice, a tribute to its New Orleans roots.

Oak Lawn

Many ways to get the bird The folks behind beloved, locally grown home cooking chain Black Eyed Pea have mined their homestyle roots again with this fried chicken concept set in the old BEP on Cedar Springs. In addition to brined fried bird, you can dive into roast chicken, chicken tenders and a peri peri chicken that’s been marinated in hot pepper sauce. There’s a shortlist of beer, cocktails and decadent side dishes, all served in the shadow of the restaurant’s cheeky wall of cocks (that is, a wall of framed painting of chickens. What were you thinking?).

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Oak Cliff

Hypnotizing spinning meats Birthed from the popularity of local pop-up parties, this OC storefront’s main attraction is the Mexican-style spit-roasted pork that’s sliced, griddled, then folded into tacos and quesadillas. There’s also bistek on hand, as well as veggies and paneer for vegetarian palates, but the rotisserie signature is the can’t-miss menu feature by far.

Oak Cliff

Authentic, family-style Mexican fine dining It's no wonder big-name stars of stage and screen (Beyoncé, Conan O'Brien, and many more) pop into this cozy, family-owned Mexican restaurant -- the Veracruzan specialties are legit. Taste the Reyes family love poured into every mole dish and each plate of ropa vieja... and definitely pair those with beer or one of Mesa's irresistible cocktails.

University Park

Seafood fresh off the boat Neighborhood Services wizard Nick Badovinus strikes again with another inspired, upscale destination for the Park Cities. With Montlake Cut, Badovinus aims to evoke the feel and flavors of his former Pacific Northwest digs. Think seafood and more seafood, including seasonal raw bar selections, in a nautical-themed space. That said, the Tillamook cheeseburger has gotten all kinds of buzz, as has Montlake Cut's extensive wine list.

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